Elderly woman arraigned for Needham Center hit and run

Thursday

Nov 29, 2007 at 12:01 AMNov 29, 2007 at 2:39 AM

Jane Goodman, 72, was charged with motor vehicle operation resulting in a homicide, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, and negligent operation after hitting a 67-year-old man in a Needham Center crosswalk.

Debra Filcman and Steven Ryan

Dressed in a gray sleeveless sweater and wearing handcuffs around her wrists, 72-year-old Jane Goodman, of Dedham, was arraigned in Dedham District Court Thursday for the hit-and-run death of a Framingham man in Needham Center.

Goodman, who looked disheveled in court, allegedly struck 67-year-old Michael Dorfman, of Framingham, Wednesday night as he was crossing Great Plain Avenue, at the intersection of Maple Street and Glendoon Road. She apparently slowed down but did not stop after striking the victim, Norfolk County Assistant District Attorney Lea Tatelman said.

Goodman was charged with motor vehicle operation resulting in a homicide, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, and negligent operation.

Bail was set at $20,000 at Tatelman’s request and on the condition that if released, she would not drive a vehicle in Massachusetts.

She was arrested after eyewitnesses were able to identify her car, along with the license plate number, and Wellesley Police located the vehicle at Massachusetts Bay Community College, where Goodman, a longtime viola-player, went to rehearse with the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra.

“The officers went inside Mass Bay Community College, where they observed the defendant in one of the auditorium rooms,” Tatelman said. “When asked how it was going, she said, ‘Not very well. Something big hit my car, but I don’t know what it was.’”

Goodman, who typically arrives at the college early to set up chairs, left without saying much, according to Orchestra President Leslie Holmes. Before leaving, she only told other members to let the conductor know she had been there, Holmes said.

Before finding the car, Wellesley Police received reports of a vehicle matching eyewitness descriptions driving erratically.

“She said [the damage] made it difficult for her to see and she was lucky to make it to the auditorium without anything else happening,” Tatelman said.

Goodman’s lawyer said his client has little prior history, noting a trespassing charge that was dismissed in 1999. He added Goodman, who has one child and had been married for about 30 years before a divorce 13 years ago, lives by herself and is a lifelong Dedham resident.

“It was an unfortunate incident,” Goodman’s lawyer said.

Goodman is due back in Dedham District Court for a pretrial conference on Dec. 27.